Hope's Peak Drabble Collection
by LyricstoSilence
Summary: A little one-shot/mini arc collection based around a non-despair Danganronpa AU- in which no one dies, shenanigans ensue almost daily, and Junko isn't crazy, she's just… bipolar? Will include some pairings, FCs, probably a lot of swearing with some characters, and other such warnings will be inside. Suggestions welcome.


**This is the start of a non-despair AU drabble collection. I might post a drabble collection for the canon killing games, but... it depends. Anyway, back to this, I apologize for it being so long. I was told this chapter is 8,688 words... which is incredibly long for the first chapter of drabble collection. Oh well? There will also be mini-arcs in this, and as you'll see when you read through, I'm including some FCs. They won't always appear, so don't flip out too much.**

 **Also, I have a few set pairings I'm adding in this, but if there's a pairing you guys want to be added in this as well, I might go with it. Depends, I guess. I don't want this to center around pairings/romance, but some one shots might include it.**

 **Also, if you guys have an idea you want to see for this (keep in mind though, it's a non-despair universe) feel free to PM me! If I like the idea, I can definitely go and write it!**

 **So, now, disclaimer time. I own nothing here, mind Hotaru and Daiki (and eventually Sayuri, who will be introduced later), all of the canon characters belong to Spike Chunsoft, I make no claim to them or the Danganronpa games at all.**

 **That's about it for my little note, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Makoto took another step towards the massive school—each footstep in sync with his mantra that reminded him to breathe. This was it. Hope's Peak Academy—the most elite school in all of Japan. In all of anywhere, really. Only the gifted types of people were accepted here. Only the teenagers who had exceptional talents and would be mankind's hope could attend this place. Only the best of the best.

Or, people like him—who won a lottery by sheer dumb luck, and are still painfully ordinary otherwise.

He remembered Komaru rushing up to his room, squealing about the letter from the prestigious school that arrived for him. He couldn't even comprehend hearing from this academy, so when it was an acceptance letter of all things, he had broken out in a grin and bolted downstairs to tell his parents.

Sure, the title of _Ultimate Lucky Student_ seemed a bit ridiculous to him—he wasn't very lucky at all, and it wasn't much of a talent either—but he was still accepted, so it still counted for something to him.

So, after preparing himself to join the 78th Class of Hope's Peak Academy—he had spent almost a week studying up on his classmates—he was here, having bid farewell to his sister and parents. They were dropping him off a day or two early to get situated, and the boy was both giddy and nervous.

He was here. He could do this.

He _would_ do this.

And with a deep breath, Makoto stepped past the gate.

* * *

He really hadn't expected this. Actually, he wasn't really sure what to expect in the first place—this school was so beyond comprehension for him, how could he expect anything? But this definitely wasn't anything he would have thought up.

After all, why would he expect there to be a two tone bear waddling around the halls, chasing some laughing students down the hallway.

"Eh…?"

That was all Makoto could mutter. The little plush bear turned to him, and stumbled towards the small boy, half of his face grinning wickedly, and the other half looking a bit more pleasant with its smile.

"Good morning, student!" it had said, prompting Makoto to jolt backwards in shock. "It… it talks…?" he mumbled, not really addressing anyone. "This plush bear talks…?"

"Eh? Calling me an _it_ and a plush bear…? You sure do say some hurtful things," the bear whined, lowering its head as if it was sad. Makoto was stunned into silence.

The bear then whipped its head up, holding up his paw and letting claws extend—although Makoto knew from the way they looked that the claws were dulled at the tips. "I'm not a plush toy! I am Monokuma! The headmaster of this academy!" he said, stomping around in a little circle and swinging his arms wildly, as if it would emphasize his point. The luckster blinked, not sure how to respond.

"… The headmaster…? This plush toy is…?"

Although he was only musing to himself, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder with their long fingernail, and he turned, immediately facing a girl with bright blue eyes.

"Not really, no. We got some kids here to help build Monokuma for the fun of it over the summer," the girl explained, twirling the ends of her blonde pigtails around her finger. "But the new little programmer girl thought it would be a nice touch if we could make him an assistant to Headmaster Kirigiri. Somehow, the little guy starting acting like he was the headmaster, but that's alright, it's kind of cute, honestly~!"

"I-I suppose so…," Makoto said, looking back at the monochrome bear, which was now dancing where it stood, without a concern for who saw it. He couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Anyway… you look surprised by it, so I assume you're in the newbie class with me. What's your name, kiddo?"

"I'm Makoto Naegi, and you?" he greeted, extending his hand. The girl grinned, almost wickedly, before shaking his hand with exaggerated glee. "I'm Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista" the girl said, in a rather cute and childish tone, "buuuut, you can just call me Mistress!"

"W-wait, what!?"

Junko barked out a laugh at Makoto's reaction, enjoying how flustered he looked. "J-Junko, please! Don't scare the kid off on his first day!"

The two turned to look at the owner of the new voice, and Junko waved enthusiastically, giggling a bit. "Ah, Kazuichi! Perfect timing! C'mere~!"

"Eh… why was it…? Oh, nevermind! Leave the boy alone, please! We don't want another one running away!" the boy—Kazuichi, at least according to Junko—called out. He tried to pry the blonde off of him, when she wrapped her arms rather tightly around his neck, ignoring his protests of being unable to catch his breath. Makoto debated whether he should ask about what the pink haired boy meant by _another one running away_ , but he shook his head and looked at the rather strange duo with a raised brow. "Um… Junko? Why was Kazuichi's timing perfect?"

"Huh? Oh, right," the girl said, letting go of Kazuichi as she shrugged—the latter gasping for breath and tugging on his black beanie nervously. "See, mister Kazuichi here is the one who built the mechanical framework for our precious little Monokuma~!"

"Oh?"

The taller boy nodded, grinning and revealing shark-like teeth. "Yup. The name's Kazuichi Souda, I'm the Ultimate Mechanic." Makoto nodded, extending his hand, which the other male shook casually. "Nice to meet you, Kazuichi. Are you also in the 78th Class?"

"Nah," Kazuichi replied, pulling a wrench out of his pocket and twirling it in his hands a bit. "I'm in the class above your, the 77th. Bunch of weird kids, I'll admit… well, except for _her._ "

"Her?"

Kazuichi grinned. "Mhmm! Miss Sonia, the Ultimate Princess. She isn't weird in the slightest! She's perfect!"

"Except for her serial killer obsession and fascination with the occult, right?"

"S-shut up! Those things don't matter!" he pink haired mechanic protested, glaring at Junko, who merely looked at her glossy red nails. He squeezed his eyes shut and started ranting about how this Sonia girl was perfect and beautiful, and so many others things, while the other two just stood there, somewhat awkwardly. Makoto considered walking away—he figured he wouldn't get anywhere with changing the subject on this boy—but his choice was made when Junko looped her arm in with his and hauled him off.

"H-hey! I was in the middle of talking!"

Junko just laughed at Kazuichi as she continued to drag Makoto away. "Yeah, I know!"

The blonde girl broke out in a run as she giggled, Makoto stumbling behind her.

* * *

If Makoto thought that Kazuichi boy was uptight, he apparently never met the Ultimate Moral Compass. The luckster and his self-appointed blonde tour guide were now getting reprimanded by the boy, who was writing each of them a detention slip. "Running in the hallway is unacceptable! I understand that school hasn't officially begun yet, but such behavior so soon is not allowed in this building, regardless!"

"Oh geez, figures the fun police would be here early as well…"

The black haired boy raised a brow, looking at Junko with a stern face. "Of course I would, Miss Enoshima! Did you doubt it?"

"Um…," Makoto interjected, watching as the boy tore the detention slip from the book, and handed it to Junko, who promptly shoved it down her bra. "I hadn't really thought to ask earlier, but… how do you two know each other?"

"The school orientation," Junko explained, "They gathered all of us up in the middle of July, and introduced us to the class above ours, who gave us a guide of the school and the taught us the ropes. That's how I met Kazuichi, he was one of the guides, since he was an upperclassman, and he got partnered off with me."

"Speaking of which," the boy added, giving Makoto a slightly disappointed look, before looking back down to keep scribbling on the slip, "why did you not attend the orientation?"

"I never got my acceptance letter until late August," Makoto explained, feeling a little left out to have not gotten the orientation notice. Still, if he was accepted afterwards, it couldn't be helped. At least he got to attend at all.

"Oh?" Junko asked, "Why not?"

"I don't really know… I mean, I got in through the lottery here, so I guess they hadn't picked the winner yet."

"That would explain it!" the prefect said, nodding his head and looking Makoto in the eyes as he spoke—which although the small brunette knew it was to be proper, it still made him uncomfortable. "Headmaster Kirigiri was debating with the school board about allowing another Ultimate Lucky Student into the 78th Class, with that one upperclassman's excessive good luck. He finally got them to agree to the lottery idea around the middle of August."

"And… you know this how?" Junko asked, placing her hands on her hips. The red eyed boy simply raised a brow, "Because Headmaster Kirigiri sent out a letter to all of those in our class, notifying us that he got the lottery approved and we would be getting another student."

"He did?"

"Of course! Did you not receive one?"

Junko shrugged, rolling her eyes, "Oh, we probably did. Mukuro most likely read it and never told me."

"Eh…? Miss Ikusaba didn't tell you? She seemed like the type to keep everyone up to date on changes…"

"Well, she might have tried, but I really wasn't paying much attention to her… I usually don't."

Makoto bit the inside of his cheek gently, shifting back and forth on his feet. He wasn't sure where to enter this conversation now. Obviously, he was even more out of place not than he was before—what, with all these students knowing each other already. He listened to the boy and Junko talk a little more before the moral compass shook his head at her and tore the paper out of his little booklet, handing it to Makoto. "And you, I would hope you don't follow Miss Enoshima's behavior in the future."

"Oh, lay off of little Makoto! In case you didn't notice, I was dragging the kid behind me. If he didn't run in these damn halls, he would have fallen on his face," Junko protested.

"Watch your language, Miss Enoshima! And regardless, he could have told you to stop as well, but he didn't."

"That's not even—,"

"J-Junko," the small boy interjected, holding his hands up in a placating gesture. "Really, it's alright. I'll take the detention this time, and I'll try to be better, so there's no need to argue with… um…" He turned to the taller boy with a puzzled look. "I don't think I ever caught your name…"

Red eyes widened almost comically, a shocked look falling over the taller boy's face. "I… I never introduced myself… I'm so sorry, classmate! My deepest apologies for my mistake!" He bowed at the waist in greeting, causing Junko to snicker and Makoto to take a step back. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass! It is a pleasure to meet you, classmate!"

"Um… it's great to meet you as well, Kiyotaka. I'm Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student… as you already know, though."

Kiyotaka nodded, straightening himself out and brushing off his white coat. Junko took a few steps towards Makoto and whistled to catch their attention. "With our detention slips in hand now, can we pleeease leave? There's so much more he needs to see!"

"I agree, Miss Enoshima! If you will be so kind as to be his guide, just remember not to break anymore—h-hey! What did I tell you about running in the halls!?"

Anything else Kiyotaka said after that was drowned out by Junko's cackling.

* * *

"Hey! Watch where you're going—you pigtailed, blonde skank!"

"You're one to talk, you bitchy little kitten~!"

Makoto bit the inside of his cheek, looking uncomfortably at Junko, and then at the short girl in the rather intricate orange kimono. The small girl looked rather out of place in the school—not that she looked average like him, she just looked so _young._ The girl must have noticed his confused expression, because her face turned even more sour than before as she spit out, "What are you looking at, freak?"

"A-ah, nothing! Just…," he trailed off, not wanting to offend her. "It's nothing. Just trying to figure out your talent."

"What? Isn't it obvious?" she asked, making a mocking face and pressing a finger against her pursed lips. "I'm the Ultimate Traditional Dancer. Geez, how stupid are you, you half-sized little shit?"

For such a childish face, he couldn't help but feel a bit disturbed by her foul language. "I, uh… sorry, miss."

"My name's Hiyoko Saionji! Could you please get it right next time?"

"S-sure."

"Ugh, you're so dumb!" she whined, clutching her head. "What are you supposed to be anyway? The Ultimate Idiot?"

"N-no… I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student," Makoto answered, shifting on his feet and glancing at Junko, who merely shrugged and started examining her nails.

"Huh? Another one?" Hiyoko asked, tilting her head to the side. Makoto recalled a similar comment between Junko and Kiyotaka, and turned to the fashionista with a brow raised. "Yeah… come to think of it, didn't you mention an upperclassman who was also a lucky student? The one that prompted the headmaster to start the lottery?"

"Mhmm," the dancer said, "That would be Nagito, alright. He's in our class, and he's… well, his luck is kind of bullshit. I mean, half of the things that happened to him shouldn't even be possible!"

"Eh? Like what?"

Junko shrugged, "Something about a meteor crashing into a plane that he was on, that was hijacked, and only he survived, which means his parents died, but he inherited a lot of money from it… some weird shit like that."

"E-eh!? That sounds horrible!" Makoto stammered, looking between the two blonde girls with a look of fear. Both of them laughed, and he felt uncomfortable. "Yeah… Nagito's a bit messed up in the head because of it," Hiyoko chuckled, as if it was funny, "He's suuuch a weirdo, it's almost sickening to be around him."

"He's kind of hot, though," Junko mused, an almost predatory grin on her face. Makoto flinched at the look, unable to believe such a supposedly sweet girl could make that expression. He was starting to feel there was more to Junko than he ever could have expected—and it was a bit frightening.

"Yeah, whatever you say, you demented bitch…"

"Ah, now Hiyoko, is that anyway to treat our new classmates?"

All three turned to a white haired boy, who was smiling sweetly at the group. Makoto raised a brow at the boy, looking confused.

"Classmates? They're the grade below us, they aren't even our class, remember, Nagito!?"

"Exactly why we need to be kind and welcome them. They are the new symbols of hope, after all."

Hiyoko groaned, stomping off in a slight tantrum, mumbling something about _worthless garbage like you._

"So…," Makoto cut in, hoping to change the mood.. "You're Nagito…?"

"Huh? Yes, I am… why?"

"Oh, nothing major~!" Junko giggled, "We were just talking about you earlier, is all!"

"T-talking about me…?" Nagito murmured, almost unsurely. Makoto nodded, "They said you were the other Ultimate Lucky Student."

Nagito beamed a bit, "There's another luckster here, now?"

"Yup," Junko grinned, pointing her thumb over her shoulder at Makoto, "That's him."

"How wonderful!" the white haired boy mused, "Finally, someone else with a talent like mine… and here I thought I was the only one here with a seemingly worthless talent…"

Makoto frowned a bit. "W-worthless…?"

"Well, I suppose there's nothing wrong with a bit of luck," Nagito grinned, "But… compared to everyone else… luck is trash."

Makoto felt like he had been kicked in the chest. Trash? His talent was trash…? No—it wasn't even a talent. He just got lucky once and won the lottery.

"Aww… poor little Makoto—your face is sooo despairing right now~!"

He couldn't help but flinch at how Junko sounded amused by it.

"Despair… Junko, you know I hate that word. It isn't very hopeful…"

"Uh, duh. That's why I use it, buddy."

"To make me angry?"

"No, silly… to make you… _despair._ "

"Junko!"

Makoto felt so out of place again—and his confidence felt bruised as well. He looked at the duo, who was bickering—although Junko seemed to enjoy it—and sighed, wandering off in the hallways with his head hanging low.

Junko was too involved with Nagito to notice he left, anyway.

* * *

Makoto wandered around the halls for a little while, a determined look on his face. Sure, Nagito's words hurt—he still felt even more unsure about himself and his talent than he had before, but that didn't mean anything now. He could prove them wrong—he could prove that he belonged in this school like everyone else! He clenched his fists, daring to smile—he couldn't let it get him down, he knew he could prove himself.

He kept walking, picking up a little speed, and rushed around the corner with newfound hope.

It figured that he failed to see the tall boy rounding the corner as well until he slammed into his chest, stumbling backwards a bit. Makoto was sure he would have fallen had slender arms not caught him around the waist, preventing him from hitting the floor. He looked up in alarm, spotting a duo—the blonde girl with her arms around him, looking at him with concern, and another male by her side, glaring in dismay at the smaller boy.

"U-um…"

"Oh my! Are you alright?" the girl questioned, hauling him back to his feet and helping him regain balance. "I'm fine… thanks," Makoto murmured, then turned to the boy, "What about you? Are you alright?"

"… How are you still standing?"

"Eh?" Makoto mused, "She caught me… didn't you s—,"

"That's not what I meant, you foolish mortal!"

Makoto flinched as his voice bellowed out in the halls, actually managing an echo. He opened his mouth to speak, to question just what the heck this guy was talking about, but the tall boy cut him off.

"Silence! How have you not fallen victim to the poison in my veins… what sorcery are you using?"

"… Huh?"

Makoto was absolutely floored by the ridiculous statement. What was this guy rambling on about? He turned to the girl, hoping she could provide an explanation, but she just looked confused as well. "Hmm… it is strange."

The luckster blinked, glancing at the boy, then the girl, then staring down at the floor. "I'm so confused…," he mumbled, "what about poison? That doesn't make much sense…"

"Hmm… it seems you and the she-cat both are immune… interesting. Tell me, which ruler of the dark do you worship?"

Makoto just stared, not even sure how to respond. The girl beside him eagerly awaited his response, but her expression soon shifted. "Oh! I do not believe we exchanged greetings yet, have we?" she chimed in, clasping her hands together in joy. Makoto smiled back, thankful for the change from the obscure topic beforehand. He extended his hand to the girl first, "My name is Makoto Naegi, I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student in the 78th Class. It's nice to meet you both." The girl shook his hand excitedly, giggling softly. "It is wonderful to make your acquaintance, Makoto! My name is Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess and this," she said, gesturing to the boy beside her, who was studying Makoto carefully, "is Gundham Tanaka, the Ultimate Breeder!"

Makoto blinked, remembering the girl's name. "Oh… you're Sonia?"

"Yes, why?"

"Uh… I met a boy earlier. His name was Kazuichi—he mentioned you," Makoto explained, not bother to elaborate on how "mentioned" was going on a rant about how perfect she was. He didn't want to frighten the poor girl after all.

"Oh… I see," she said, seeming a bit disappointed, "Kazuichi again, hmm? Oh well, it is fine with me, I'm sure we'll all move past it."

Makoto tilted his head to the side, hoping she would explain, but she didn't merely turning to Gundham. "Shall we be off?" she asked, then looked at Makoto with a sweet expression, "I did enjoy this introduction, however Gundham and I were going to find food for his hamsters. I hate to stop this short, however…"

"My Dark Devas can only eat seeds from the flowers groomed in Hell, and we must make sure this worthless bastion of a place provides it."

Makoto was mute for a moment, before asking, "Is it okay if I tag along with you guys? My guide got… busy, and I'm still new here. This is my first time in the school after all."

"Oh, of course you may!" Sonia smiled, then turned to Gundham. "Is that alright with you?"

"… I suppose your accompaniment will not be much of a hindrance… very well then, you may join us."

"Thanks."

* * *

The walk with Gundham and Sonia was rather interesting. Makoto felt out of place as always, and yet, when Gundham would question his life at home—however weirdly the older boy worded the questions, that is—or when Sonia would give him a little explanation on the main rooms they passed on the way to the cafeteria, he couldn't help but feel like maybe he could make it in this school after all.

It was enough for now to calm his nerves.

"So," Sonia started up, hands clasped in front of her as she turned her head to look at Makoto, "are you excited for the school year?"

"A little bit," he admitted, "but… mostly nervous."

"I see," Gundham mused, not sparing the boy a glance, but Makoto knew he was talking to him, "it is quite reasonable to be, however. Excitement and anxiety are what most would feel—should you only consist of one, it could be fatal to your time here… however short it may be. Feeling both is best for your survival."

Assuming Gundham was trying to sympathize with him—at least, he sincerely hoped that's what he meant—Makoto responded with, "Were you two nervous when starting school here?"

"I admit, I was very much nervous," Sonia confessed, "I hadn't been away from Novoselic for this long before, and I knew my people were counting on me here to do my best. It was a bit… scary, at first."

Gundham merely huffed, not bothering to answer the question. Makoto didn't feel like prying, so instead he asked, "Why are you two here early, anyway?"

"It is a long distance from Novoselic to Japan. My parents wanted to make sure we had plenty of time to get to this school and get situated."

"Oh? You both are from Novoselic?"

"No," Gundham said, "I was merely escorting the she-cat on her visit home."

"Oh… in that case, what's Novoselic li—,"

"Ggh, why don't you ever know when to piss off!?"

The trio was startled—although Gundham didn't exactly show it—by the sudden exclamation from down the hall. It was a male's voice, that much was obvious, and its tone was undoubtedly irritated.

"Uh…," Makoto murmured, looking to the two people he was with. They both looked at each other with concerned expressions, and Sonia took Makoto's hand. "It would be best not to get involved, Makoto… he can be quite frightening when he's angry."

"Who?"

"Oh come on, Kuzu, take a compliment for what it is once in a while!"

That voice was new, most likely the person the first one was talking to. It was female, and somewhat annoyed, yet amusement was laced into the tone.

" _Cute_ is not a compliment to me, you stupid bitch!"

"G-guys… please calm down!" A third voice sounded now, sounding worried, and Makoto let his curiosity get the best of him and pulled away from Sonia's grip. She barely had time to call out after him as he rounded the corner towards the voices, eventually spotting a group of four students.

"It's fine, Daiki, he's always like this. So much _bad attitude_ for such a _little guy_ ," the female from earlier said, her hair a light blue color, and her arms crossed. She was glaring at the boy in a suit who stood a few inches from her face—despite that he was noticeably shorter than her. In fact, he seemed to be shorter than the other two as well—the black haired boy that the bluenette referred to as Daiki, and a tall girl with crimson eyes and a stern expression.

"What the fuck did you say?"

The red eyed girl spoke next, "Young master, please calm yourself. She's not worth i—,"

"Shut the hell up, Peko! I don't need you treating me like a child here!"

"Um… is everything okay?" Makoto chimed in, his body positioned to where he appeared to be hiding behind the lockers. The four turned to look at him, the short boy seething, and the blue haired girl with a brow raised. "It's… fine, I guess. Just a bit of miscommunication."

"Just you being an annoying bitch."

The girl went to comment back, but Daiki put a hand on her shoulder. "Hotaru, please, just ignore him."

"… Fine. He was a lot nicer when he had to be my guide though."

"You were a lot less irritating, too."

"Both of you, please," Peko said, her blank face never faltering. Hotaru sighed, and turned to Makoto. "Sorry you had to see that, kid. Not a good first impression, huh?"

"I suppose not…"

"Anyway," Daiki chimed in, "what's your name?"

"Makoto Naegi. What about you guys?"

"I'm Hotaru Miyoshi," the bluenette girl said, "I'm the Ultimate Seamstress. It's nice to meet you." The black haired boy beside her nodded, "Daiki Hitomi, Ultimate Sculptor. It's great to meet you, Makoto!"

Makoto nodded, then looked back at Peko and the blonde boy, who had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, looking at the floor. The silver haired girl looked at the boy, waiting for a moment, then sighed as she turned back to Makoto. "My name is Peko Pekoyama, the Ultimate Swordswoman. It's a pleasure to meet you, Makoto. I hope we can get along."

"I hope so too," Makoto said with a smile. He paused, looking at the remaining student, but that didn't seem to do the trick. Instead, he merely turned on his heel and walked off. Peko hesitated, but looked at the group with a neutral expression and excused herself, following the boy.

"… Wow," Hotaru said, "They told me he was an asshole, but… I never expected it to be this bad."

"Who was he?" Makoto asked, tilting his head, a frown curving at his lips. "That," Hotaru murmured, "was Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. He's a student in the 77th Class, as well as Peko."

"Wait, his last name is Kuzuryu…? Don't tell me, like the Kuzuryu Clan?"

Hotaru smirked slightly, "Exactly, kiddo. That's how he earned the title as Ultimate Yakuza, apparently."

"I-I see…," Makoto chuckled, although it was a noticeably nervous tune. Daiki raised a brow, looking at the brunette boy, "Speaking of which… what's your talent?"

"Oh, right. I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student in the 78th Class."

"Heh, you're in the 78th Class too?" Daiki said with a smile, "Nice to hear, we'll be classmates, then!"

"Really?"

Daiki and Hotaru both nodded, and Makoto grinned. This could work out—he hadn't met many people from his own class—mind Junko and Kiyotaka—so getting to know these two seemed to ease him a little. Maybe his class wouldn't be so bad? Junko seemed a bit strange, but nice, and although Kiyotaka was strict, he knew the boy probably meant well. And these two seemed rather nice—however…

"Hey, Hotaru? If I can ask, what were you and Fuyuhiko fighting about?"

Her smile fell, "Oh… that? Long story. He had done something dumb at orientation, and I brought it up to try and get a laugh, since as you figured out, he's a bit of a hothead. He got angry that I was _mocking him_ or something, and I said I wasn't trying to be insulting, I thought it was cute. He flipped his shit, and then you showed up."

Makoto smiled unsurely, "Heh… that seems…"

"Ridiculous?"

Makoto nodded, agreeing with Daiki's suggestion. "Yeah, just about."

"Anyway… moving on from Kuzu's bad temper, you weren't at the orientation, right? How about Daiki and I show you around the school?"

"Are you willing to do that?" Makoto asked, "I really don't want to make you guys go out of your way to do it…"

"Nah, it's okay," Daiki said with a slight smile, "Hotaru and I arrived yesterday, so we already got situated. Right now we've got nothing to do, so if you want a tour, we'd be more than happy to."

"Alright then," Makoto nodded, "where to first?"

* * *

"So… wait, there's five floors to this building?"

"Six if you count the basement," Daiki pointed out, "But, that's mostly where garbage and unwanted items go."

Makoto nodded quietly, following his classmates. Hotaru was leading him around the first floor at the moment, showing him around the rooms and explaining what they were and what you did in them—although her comments were scarce and a bit unsure, as she was most likely just referring to what her guide had told her. They walked out of the gym, the latest room they had visited, and took a left down the hallway.

"We're coming near the nurses office…," she said, "there isn't much to show in there, but it wouldn't hurt to take a peek, I suppose."

As if giving her reason to explore inside, a crash was heard behind the door, things rattling as they clattered against the floor. The three students looked at each other in alarm, then walked to the door, and Hotaru opened it rather quickly.

"Is everything okay in here?"

"E-eh… eek! I-I'm s-sorry…! I'm so sorry, I-I didn't m-mean to make everyone w-worry…!"

Makoto's brow furrowed at the sound of the timid, rather frightened female voice. He tried to look, but Hotaru was in the doorway, and he couldn't get a good view.

"Eh…? Mikan, it's fine. Are you hurt?" Hotaru finally stepped inside to help the girl to her feet, and Makoto glanced through the doorway from where he stood, spotting a girl with purple hair, who was wrapped up with bandages in multiple places. A tray holding packets of gauze and rolls of bandages was strewn across the floor of the nurses office, and the girl was trembling. She cautiously reached for Hotaru's hand and let the girl hoist her up onto her feet, before responding.

"N-no… I don't t-think so… e-even if I w-was… I could just patch m-myself u-up quickly… ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to change the focus from you!"

A new voice sounded out, almost exasperated, yet still a bit cheerful. "It's alright Mikan, if you got hurt, you should take care of yourself too! If you got seriously hurt, that'd be bad, right?"

"A-ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—,"

"Mikan, please," Hotaru sighed, "just calm down. Hina's right, we care about you, too, y'know. So you can stop freaking out now, okay? No one's mad."

Makoto poked his head in to see who the other occupants in the room were, and tilted his head to the side. There was a girl sitting on one of the beds, with her dark brown hair in ponytail, and beside her was a giant, rather muscular woman.

"Um…," Daiki started, looking at Makoto, "Obviously, the nurse over there is Mikan, as I'm sure you figured out. Other than that, the girl with the ponytail is Aoi Asahina, but she just insists for everyone to call her Hina, and next to her is Sakura Oogami…"

"Right…"

"Hey!" Hina called out, puffing out her cheeks at Daiki and Makoto, her brow lowered. "Are you two talking about us?"

"Not anything bad!" Makoto reassured, "He was just telling me your names."

"Huh…? Oh, we haven't met before, have we?" Hina mused, then smiled at the boy. "I know you said he told you, but I'm Aoi Asahina, or you can just call me Hina. All of my friends call me that, anyway. I'm the Ultimate Swimmer. You?"

"Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Lucky Student."

"Makoto, eh?" she mumbled, then started tracing letters into her palm.

"Huh…? What are you—,"

"Didn't anyone ever tell you?" she asked, "If you write someone's name down three times, you won't forget it!"

"Does that really even work?" Daiki asked, raising a brow. Hina just gave him a strange look. "Of course, would I do it if it didn't?"

"Point taken," Daiki said, holding his hands up in playful surrender. The tall girl beside Hina—Sakura, at least according to Daiki—spoke up at that moment. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Makoto. My name is Sakura Oogami, Ultimate Martial Artist."

Makoto smiled and nodded. "Nice to meet you both," he said, giving them a brief wave. He heard a timid voice start mumbling, and he turned to Mikan, who looked like a frightened child. "U-um… I-I'm Mikan Tsumiki, the Ultimate Nurse… i-it's nice to m-meet you, Makoto… c-can I please r-remember your n-name…?"

"Of course," he murmured, raising a brow, "why would you think you couldn't?"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to jump to conclusions, p-please don't hate me!"

Makoto was silent, a nervous smile on his face. This was going to be interesting to resolve…

* * *

It wasn't long after that the trio left the nurses office, but not without some strange incidents. After telling Mikan at least a dozen times that it was okay, she didn't hate her, Hina finally got the brace on her ankle that she had needed and Hotaru went off to talk with the nurse to hopefully keep her calm. Makoto and Daiki stood with Hina and Sakura, chatting with the two females, and honestly, Makoto found the conversation quite pleasant. Hina talked about her swim competitions and her love for the water, and explained how she got her ankle injured—which Makoto was surprised to hear she underestimated the depth of the pool before she jumped in. He would have thought someone who devoted their life to swimming would have their precautions first, but as Hina put it, she got _way too excited_ that the place had a pool at all.

Sakura was mostly quiet, until Makoto asked her what kinds of fighting she preferred. She replied that wrestling was a personal favorite of hers, and when Makoto asked who she wrestled with, her answer was simple—anyone who seemed like a good opponent, and was willing to spar. Although, Makoto wished he hadn't asked how she knew, as she asked him to stand still and started feeling his muscle, much to Makoto's embarrassment and Daiki's amusement.

"Don't worry," Daiki had told him, "she did that to me too." Hina just giggled, asking Sakura for her verdict. "It seems he has the strength of an average high school student… most unfortunate."

Makoto wasn't sure whether to be hurt or relieved, although he was just glad for the change in topic when Hotaru mentioned they should hurry with the tour before it got too late. Sakura and Hina agreed, and bid the three of them farewell—even Mikan stuttered out a goodbye, as she started organizing the medical supplies, and tossing out the no longer sterile items that fell on the floor.

With that, the trio left, wandering down the halls again. "So…," Hotaru started, breaking the silence, "Sakura decided to see if you were a good sparring partner for her?"

"Y-yeah…," Makoto chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

Daiki shrugged, "Don't worry about it. You weren't, which is probably a good thing. She's strong… like, seriously strong. You'd likely get hurt."

"I know, but… it was still weird."

"No kidding," Hotaru chuckled.

They wandered around for a while longer, talking about the school, their lives at home, anything they could. It wasn't until they walked by the hallway leading to the dorms that Makoto remembered he never found his.

"Hey… could we check out where my dorm is?" he asked. His two classmates looked at each other, then nodded. "Sure," Daiki said, "follow us, they should have your nameplate for your room."

They found his easily—it was one of the first ones down the hallway after all, and Makoto was happy to see his nameplate, complete with a small, almost 8-bit version of his face on it. It was rather cute, and made him feel like he was welcome. After all, if he didn't belong, why would they go through all the trouble of making this?

"… stupid… stupid, stupid… why are these stupid suitcases so heavy…?"

"Eh?' Makoto asked, looking down the hallway they entered from, seeing three figures approaching, the only male hauling multiple suitcases in his hands, even tucking some under his arms.

"Please…!" a tiny girl pleaded, "Careful…! Don't strain yourself too much, p-please…!"

"It's fine, Chihiro. He's a man, he should be able to do this."

"How many outfits do you have in these things…?" the redheaded boy groaned.

"N-none… two of the three have my computer equipment."

"S-seriously!?" he stammered out, eyes wide. "What the hell do you need two suitcases full of computer shit for?"

"Hey! Watch your language in front of women—who ever taught you manners?"

"I, uh… please don't fight, guys…," the small girl squeaked out.

Daiki must have had enough of the bickering, for he called out with, "Hey… do you guys need some help? If there's equipment in those suitcases, we don't want to risk overworking Leon and having him drop the cases, right?"

"Ah, yeah, that would help, thanks" the other female said, her hair a similar cherry red to the boy, who seemed thankful to have a bit of the burden lifted. "Thanks, Daiki," Leon said, tiredly exchanging one of the suitcases with the equipment in it. "Makoto," the black haired boy said, "want to take the third one?"

"Uh… sure!"

"See," the girl said, smiling at Leon, " _some guys_ can be gentlemen. And yet you tried to just walk by and let this girl haul three suitcases alone that were bigger than her."

"U-um…," the small girl started to speak, but Leon cut her off, glaring at the redhead the moment Makoto took the suitcase with clothes in it. "Hey! I wasn't trying to be rude, but Coach Nekomaru is on my ass about try'na ditch baseball, give me a break! Have you ever _seen_ that guy when he's mad?"

"Of course I have, he's in my class," the girl responded, rolling her eyes. "And again, watch your language."

"Guys," Hotaru interjected, "quit arguing. You're giving me a headache, and poor Chihiro a panic attack."

Indeed, the small girl looked uneasy about the arguing, and spoke up softly. "Mahiru… i-it's okay… I was strong enough to take them myself."

"But if a guy is able to, he should be a gentleman and help the girl, you know?"

Makoto noticed how Chihiro's face fell a bit, probably upset her point had been shot down, but she merely nodded. "So… Leon, Chihiro, and Mahiru, right?" he asked, hoping to switch the subject.

Mahiru looked at him, and nodded, "Yeah… we haven't met, have we?"

"I don't think we have," he replied, not feeling like bringing up the missed orientation.

"Well, what's your name?"

"Makoto. Makoto Naegi," he said, shifting the suitcase to one hand so he could shake hers. She smiled, and shook his hand. "Mahiru Koizumi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," Makoto said, then turned to Leon. "And you?"

"Leon Kuwata, Ultimate Baseballer," he said, grinning. The brunette boy nodded with a smile, "Nice to meet you."

"I'm… I'm Chihiro Fujisaki. I'm the Ultimate Programmer… n-nice to meet you."

"Ah, you're the programmer who helped with building Monokuma, right?"

She squeaked, "You heard about that?" Despite her shock, she seemed a bit excited, and Makoto couldn't help but grin. "Yeah! I met him too—it was a bit startling at first, but really cool! You did great."

"Thank you, Makoto!" she chirped, closing her eyes and smiling. She had been so timid earlier, but when on familiar territory in conversation, Makoto noticed she seemed much more confident.

"So…," Daiki murmured, "not to be rude, but… where's your dorm, Chihiro?"

"Ah, right! It's three doors down, if I remember right…"

"Got it!"

* * *

All three boys were eager to drop the luggage in—mind Makoto's suitcase, the other two were carrying things that were quite heavy—and when they placed it in the room, Chihiro thanked them and shut herself in to set everything up. That left the remaining five out in the hallway, talking amongst themselves.

The conversation was rather nice—Makoto spotted the camera around Mahiru's neck, and asked if she was a photographer, and it wasn't very surprising when she revealed it was her talent.

She showed him a few pictures she took, and Makoto had a short, but sweet compliment for all of them—he had to admit, he could really see why she was the Ultimate Photographer.

Leon seemed bored, and took to chatting with Daiki about something Makoto couldn't exactly hear, and Hotaru was off to the side, leaning against the wall, not joining in either conversation. Makoto wondered why she suddenly stopped socializing, but figured it wasn't any of his business, and kept talking with Mahiru.

The hung out for a while longer, before a voice boomed out from down the hallway, causing Leon to flinch and step back behind Daiki.

Makoto looked towards the sound, raising a brow at the mountain of a man standing before him, two girls by his side.

"Sorry, Leon," the girl with horns said, chuckling a bit, "Nekomaru wanted to know where you were, and Ibuki couldn't lie to him."

"Still, we tried to tell him it wasn't worth hunting you down, but…," the navy haired girl said, a sheepish look on her face. Makoto blinked, scanning her face. Wasn't that…?"

"Y-you guys are traitors!" Leon pouted from his spot behind the sculptor. "How could you sell me out like that?"

"Oh, calm down, Leon. Ibuki and Sayaka aren't to blame," Mahiru sighed.

"Hey… it really is you, then?"

Sayaka turned to face him, and was silent for a moment, which worried him. Then she grinned, giggling and running up to embrace him. "Makoto! I can't believe it, you're really here too?"

"Huh?" the other girl said, tilting her head to the side, "You know him? Is this a reunion that Ibuki wasn't told about?"

"Not really," Makoto said, "We were friends in middle school."

"I'm so glad you're here," Sayaka smiled, "it's great to have a familiar face here."

"Same to you," Makoto smiled, before Leon cleared his throat. "Now that you two have reunited, can someone _please_ tell Coach Nekomaru that this isn't such a big deal…?"

"You fool! You want to quit baseball to become a rock star, tell me how that isn't a big deal!"

"Hey! It's my future, let me decide what happens!"

"After all you've put into baseball, you're willing to give it up just like that?" Nekomaru asked.

"It's not my dream anymore. Hell, it never really was…"

"Um… Nekomaru, right? Maybe just cut Leon a break?" Makoto offered, "After all, everyone should get a chance to pursue what they want…"

"Yeah! What Makoto said!" Leon said, crossing his arms and flicking his lip piercing with his teeth. Nekomaru just sighed, "Leon, look. You've put your entire life into baseball. Why give it up to be a rock star?"

"Because! Music is my calling! Can't you just see me as the Ultimate Musician?"

Ibuki cleared her throat, a pout on her face, and Leon chuckled nervously, "No offense meant, Ibuki. I'm not trying to steal your title."

"You'd better not! Ibuki worked hard for her title, and she isn't about to let Ball Boy steal it from her!"

"Ball Boy…?" Hotaru mused from her spot against the wall, but Leon shot both girls a glare and went back to protesting his case. "Besides, you don't have any say in what I do! I'm independent, I can do what I want!"

"I will knock some sense into you before the school year is over, I guarantee it!"

"Uh, Nekomaru…?" Sayaka tried, a worried look on her face. Leon just laughed—a fearful sounding one—and looped his arm in with Makoto's. "I uh, can't stick around Nekomaru, because, uh… Makoto and I need to hit the library! Bye!"

"H-hey!" Daiki called out as Leon rushed off with the brunette boy—but it didn't stop him.

Makoto couldn't help but groan.

* * *

"So… how exactly do you know Sayaka, again?"

"We went to the same middle school," Makoto explained as Leon dragged him through the halls. The baseball star had hauled him off, an excuse to leave Nekomaru behind, and now they were just wandering aimlessly while Leon tried to start a conversation.

"Were you guys close?"

"Yeah, we were friends."

"No, I mean like… _close._ "

"Like… dating?"

"Yeah! Were you two an item?"

"N-no!" Makoto stuttered out. Leon laughed a bit, putting his hands behind her head. "Good. So, no lingering romance here then?" Makoto sighed, "Of course not, why…?"

"… I might have an interest in her?"

"Eh? Already?"

"Yeah, man! She's really cute, she's a singer, and she's really fun to be around."

"Oh… yeah, she is. I can admit that."

"… So, if you know her, what's she like?" Leon asked, causing Makoto to stop in his tracks. "What?"

"You… you like Sayaka, and don't even know that much about her personality?"

"Well, uh…"

"Leon is just that type of person," a calm voice said, "he makes impulsive decisions and assumptions for girls."

"T-that's not true!" he protested, turning to the lavender haired girl with a scowl.

"Oh, it isn't? Why do you want to be a rock star?"

"Because music is my calling!"

"I think it was because of a girl you met once," another girl said, her dusty pink hair swaying as she tilted her head, a pink DS in her hands. She was playing her game without even looking—Makoto had to wonder if she was actually winning.

"That too, but… mostly because it's my calling!"

"A-anyway," Makoto chimed in, "Who are you two?"

"I'm Chiaki Nanami. I'm the Ultimate Gamer…," the pink haired girl said, yawning softly. The other female was silent, then nodded at Makoto. "I'm Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Makoto Naegi," he responded, smiling, and extending his hand. She paused, then reached a gloved hand out to shake his. "Ah, I see, the new Lucky Student."

"Eh? How did you know?"

"Because," Leon cut in, "didn't you recognize her last name? The headmaster is her father."

Kyoko's hand clenched in what Makoto assumed to be anger, still in the handshake with his, and Makoto flinched. She pulled away and looked at the boy with a neutral expression. "My apologies for that. But the headmaster and I are not on the best of terms…"

"Right… sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's simply between him and I, for personal reasons."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Either way," Kyoko stated, "Chiaki and I were heading off to the cafeteria. I don't mean to cut this short intentionally, however—,"

"Would either of you two like to join us?" Chiaki asked, never looking up from her game this time.

"Sure, I'm cool with that," Leon said. "Makoto?"

"I'll… I'll pass, but thanks."

"Suit yourself," Leon shrugged.

"It was nice meeting you, Makoto," Chiaki said, waving with one hand, eyes still fixated on the game—how did she even play with a single hand left?

"Yes, I suppose it was," Kyoko said with a nod. "I hope to see you around."

"Yeah, you too," Makoto replied, smiling and waving as the three disappeared down the hall.

It took him a moment to realize he was alone again.

* * *

"Makotoooo! I lost you, where did you run off to?"

His head perked up at the sound of Junko's voice—he shifted from the spot on the wall where he was leaning and smiled. "Sorry, you were busy with Nagito, and it felt a bit awkward being there on the sidelines…"

"Oh, you poor thing, being left out," she said in a childish voice, pulling him into a hug. Makoto squirmed a bit, the action being unexpected, but Junko let go quickly.

"Did you make out alright without me?"

"Yeah, I did fine. Met a few new people, got a brief tour… it was cool."

"That's good. Kind of unfortunate I couldn't be the one to help but… despair always creeps up on you when you never expect it, hmm? That's why I always welcome it~!"

"Uh… Junko?"

"What?" she asked, tilting her head innocently.

"Well… never mind, actually," he said, shaking his head with a smile. "Sooo… think you're ready for school in two days?" she asked, her voice sweet, yet a bit of a warning was laced in her words.

Makoto mused for a moment. Was he? Today had been hectic, and it wasn't even the real school year. He was sure there were more classmates to meet, and he hadn't even met his teachers yet. He still felt a bit wounded about his talent, and his fear was strong, even after all of this. Was he ready? His classmates were odd, albeit kind—he was sure they meant well. But still…

Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he grinned at Junko. "I don't know, I mean, I'll have to wait and see, but… yeah, I think I'm ready."

* * *

 **I apologize if there's any typos still in this. I read it over three times, and had two other friends read it over and check it out. If anything was missed, I'm sorry, I've read it so many times I literally can't tell anymore.**

 **Also, if anyone is OOC in this (coughcoughJunkocough), try to keep in mind it's a non-despair AU? I'm trying to keep most of their original personality in check, but for people like Junko, since she ISN'T completely batshit crazy and putting them in a killing game, I tried to make her personality like when Mukuro was disguised as her- or what I assume she acted like when she was pretending to be normal.**

 **That's about it. Thanks for reading, please leave a review if you liked it- or even if you didn't, let me know how to improve!- and if you have an idea, feel free to PM me about it! ^^ Thanks, guys!**


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